Warren W. Wagner, W3 Architects | McRight/Wagner Home and Studios, 2001

Warren W. Wagner, W3 Architects | McRight/Wagner Home and Studios, 2001. Here on the quiet side of Venice, close to the ocean yet far from urban distractions, this unique creative compound provides an intimate setting for living and working in harmony with nature. The large quarter-acre lot generously accommodates two separate structures seamlessly connected to the mature drought-tolerant landscape, with fire pit, outdoor dining, and ample room for pool and future additions. Facing the street, the award-winning studio houses the architect’s office downstairs and artist’s workshop up, noteworthy for both architectural integrity and innovative sustainable technologies, features too often mutually exclusive. Thick block walls and polished concrete floors are visually compelling but also capitalize on the sun’s energy to heat and cool the home, and in-floor radiant heat is both efficient and comfortable. Similarly, a series of large custom steel doors provides a dramatic façade element, but also direct on-shore breezes into the home for passive ventilation. The result is a cohesive architectural statement in the sculptural school of Southern California, with exposed structural steel and glued laminated timber, also sensitive to the environment. In back, the original 1962 bungalow has been opened and expanded, with raised ceilings, large skylights, exposed wood framing, and French doors opening to an outdoor deck and spa. Together the two homes function as a unified system, with separate spaces for living and working at opposite ends of the lot, with plenty of room for recreating in between – a necessity in today’s complicated world. Front: 2 BD, 2 BA, 2,200 SF. Back: 2 BD, 1 BA, 1,076 SF. 10,894 SF Lot.